The invention pertains to the orderly management of electrical and data or signal lines of typewriters, telephones, dictating machines, calculators, computer terminals and the like associated with office spaces, and more particularly to a wire or line manager connected to the edge of a work surface and extending between the edge and a wall for vertically and horizontally routing electrical lines therebetween.
There are numerous wires, cables and electrical lines associated with office spaces, and particularly with the modern modular offices that are designed to compactly arrange a large number of electrical apparatuses in a small space and in which the work surfaces and cabinets are hung on portable partition panels. Representative of such apparatuses are dictating machines, calculators, telephones, word processors and printers, typewriters, and the like. A major problem associated with such an arrangement is the unsightly view and annoying presence of these lines as they lie on the work surface top while proceeding toward openings in the corners and become entangled beneath the work surface. Such a situation is both physically annoying and aesthetically unpleasing to working personnel and may contribute to their decreased productivity.
One method attempting to neatly arrange the placement of electrical lines provides holes or slots through the working surface through which the lines could be passed. Disadvantages with this arrangement exist in that the holes or slots require a custom finish or some type of ornamental cover, thereby unnecessarily increasing cost. Moreover, if the holes or slots are precut, limited versatility is provided to the user in managing the placement and routing of electrical lines about office furniture. For example, if office electrical apparatuses cannot be conveniently located near an opening or a slot, then their associated electrical lines must be undesirably extended to the nearest hole or slot.
Furthermore, if the holes or slots are not precut, but are cut after installation of the office furniture and equipment, the later addition of more or newer electrical equipment places the user in the position of again having limited versatility in routing the electrical wires of the new equipment.
Another earlier attempt to solve the above problem involved moving the work surface away from the wall or partition panel either by physically shifting the work surface forwardly or by cutting a portion of the work surface edge away, and connecting an L-shaped channel on the work surface edge with the horizontally disposed portion extending toward and against the wall. Electrical lines were then placed between the work surface edge and the wall and run along the channel's horizontal portion disposed below the top surface of the work surface. In spite of eliminating the provision of holes or slots in the work surface, other disadvantages were created by use of the L-shaped channel. Two such disadvantages are that the L-shaped channel is not aesthetically pleasing, and tends to collect dust, pencils, paper clips, and the like.
To eliminate the above disadvantages, the L-shaped channel can be attached at a higher position on the work surface edge so that the vertically disposed portion of the channel extends a predetermined distance above the top surface, thereby preventing pencils, paper clips, and the like from collecting in the channel. However, this was found to result in an unsightly metal line or border along the work surface, and since the top edge of the vertical portion of the channel was rough, it required finishing to be acceptable to the user, thereby increasing production costs.
In view of this, it is evident that there still exists a need for a means of efficiently and aesthetically routing electrical lines associated with modern modular offices.